By any estimation this is a shocking video. A hit and run case made worse because people walking along the pavement don’t rush to the victim, or call 911 but instead they stand and watch the victim. This psychological phenomenon is fairly well documented and is known as genovese syndrome (after a woman by the name of Kitty Genovese was stabbed to death by a serial rapist and murderer over a period of about a half hour, after which it was reported that dozens of alleged “witnesses” failed to help the victim). Researchers found that individuals will intervene if another person is in need of help – but that help is less likely to be given if more people are present.
But how, I wonder, does this social phenomenon play into the broader issue of community resilience – if at all? Self help groups, good Samaritans and community spirit all play critical roles in helping a community bounce back from an event. But what if they don’t actually exist in the first place? Are policy makers and policy wonks assuming too much about individuals and their appetite to help others? Evidence is key but think about the following:
Back in March 2008 the UK Government unveiled a plan for a civil defence network to protect Britain against natural disasters and terrorism. The idea was that organisations would team up to build the country’s resilience in a catastrophe.
But this initiative was based on the assumption that people would want to join such an organisation. And most individuals, it seems, don’t. So my prediction is that the civil defence force will be consigned to the dustbin of ideas even before it’s piloted. And is there an alternative? Based on a superficial reading of the evidence it seems most people form their own groups in response to specific events. A case of bottom- up approaches trumping top-down initiatives – leaving Government with a massive headache as to how it should approach the issue of community resilience.
